AT&T throws huge Nokia Lumia 1020 launch party for Chicago store

Although our local AT&T store has the Lumia 1020 on display, it pales in comparison to what went down at a flagship AT&T location in Chicago recently. In a video posted on YouTube, the massive launch party featured certainly one of the most elaborate in-store setups we have come across for any smartphone launch. In fact, the whole store is seemingly devoted to displaying the Lumia 1020 and its 41MP camera.

In the video, which lasts nearly three minutes, you can see AT&T employees interacting with people on the streets, allowing them to try out the camera and explaining to them the technology. In the store, there was food, raffles for prizes and everything from giant floating balloons to dioramas to take practice shots. If you liked the photo that you took, live printing of those images to take with you were an option as well.

Clearly the employees and customers were having a blast that day and it is certainly inspiring to see such a presentation. Now the question is, will such setups popup in other AT&T flagship stores? Have you seen any near you? If so, let us know in comments.

I checked out the 1020 at an ATT store a couple of days ago. I saw a guy actually buy one. After having seen only one other WP in the wild ever, I must say it shocked the heck out of me! Store reps were friendly and helpful, so nothing at all like Chicago, but this was in a dumpy suburb of San Jose.

I went to an At&t store in queens Nyc yesterday and I had this huge argument with one of the reps. He was complaining how windows phone suck and how android was better. I told him he is an idiot and If I was his boss i would fire him right now. Such an asshole. You want to compare android crap to windows. Please!!

I don't know about that. I used Android for the past 2.5 years and I thought it was awful. Not only is the user interface ugly and cumbersome, but the peformance of the OS itself is just awful. Then entire 2.5 years I had it it was a sluggish, slow mess that would often freeze and require a reboot. I had heard Windows Phone was better coded so I just switched over to Windows Phone in May, and after seeing how smooth, stable, and fast Windows Phone is, there is no way I'd ever go back to Android. It may be popular, but it certainly doesn't deserve to be. It's garbage.

I would simply asked to speak to a mgr and then regional manager and talk about that store sales ethics. Its amazing what you create by knowing to approach a situation in the right manner. Its not up to a sales rep to tell you something sucks when they are suppose to sell to a customer their product. That's why I always do my own research and never ask them unless ita service related. When they try to spill details on phones I tell them I did my research and do not need their opinions unless asked for. They shut up. Worse thing to do to those type of people is out knowledge them

He was an idiot. He knew absolutely nothing about tech. Had the nerve to argue with me that Facebook doesn't own instagram and that Google owns Facebook. They bought it a few years ago. Clearly it was not worth my time arguing with this idiot.

It actually is really frightening how little most sales rep know about the industry they are working in, even stuff directly relevant to their jobs. I remember going to a couple Verizon kiosks in shopping malls (admittedly, these are outsourced shops and not properly trained Verizon employees) literally 2 weeks before the Lumia 928 launched and none of the workers had even heard about it. Another time I went to T-Mobile 1 week before the 925 launch and none of the workers had even heard about it: "I think that's for Sprint," he said. "Actually, it's exclusive to T-Mobile," I said. "Sprint doesn't have any Nokias." Yikes.

I went to that store on launch day, it was nice but it didn't really feel like a super huge event. There were photo set ups and stuff, but nothign too exciting. I did go towards the end of the work day, however.

Bought my 1020 and gave my girlfriend my 920. She loves it more then her iPhone 5. At&t rep that helped me was more excited to see the phone then I was. I was the first person to buy one the Friday it came out at that At&t store. Glad to see At&t stepping it up.

Here in Miami/Ft Lauderdale people avoid windows phone like the plague. The sales reps at AT&T don't know shit about Nokia Lumia phones, and most AT&T reps are very bias towards windows phones. For them its all about the iPhone, or Samsung phones. They also try to Change your mind when buying the Windows Phone

I'm near West Palm and went into my AT&T store on day 1 and told the rep who approached me that I wanted to see the 1020. He gave me a blank look. He had no idea what I was talking about. I found the display on my own and then the same rep spoke over my shoulder and asked if I had any questions... sheesh...

I'm near Miramar, went to a small att store beside a froyo shop and there was literally one other person there trying to buy a feature phone. Went to the display (which is of course all the way in the back) and the 1020 wasn't there, the rep said he was charging it -_-. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the stupid little cord they connect to it charge it?

Nokia should continue adding fuels in the fire to release a slew of new high-end phones, phablets and tablet with quad-core, 1080p display and 41MP camera. AT&T should send all their store managers to the Chicago store for training.

Went to the store here in Murfreesboro the day the Nokia 1020 came out. There wasn't a party but I was pleasantly surprised by the knowledge and excitement for the phone by staff. There was a nice display with two phones, low light box and domed Nokia miniatures to shoot. Still not front and center like I like, but not hidden. Quite a change here in TN from last year when they had them behind the counter.
More talk on the street; while looking for a case for my new 920 I recieved enthusiastic unsolicited reviews from salespeople at Verizon, T-Mobile, H.H.Greg, Electronic Express, Game Stop, Best Buy, the cell phone case kiosk at the mall, etc... With the exception of the young man at Radio Shack (Nokia 920) all of these people had Samsung's or iphones and here they were asking if I'd heard of the new Nokia!
And then the kicker, while eating dinner at a Chinese buffet in a neighboring town last night overheard an older gentlemen asking his adult daughter and grandchildren if they "had heard about the new 35 megapixel Nokia phone"? I just had to introduce myself and show them my pictures from launch day! We Windows Phone enthusiasts are getting a little more love nowadays. :-)